DISCLAIMER: I OWN NO ELEMENTS USED IN THIS STORY, ALL ELEMENTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS
I only have a few hours so listen carefully. If you're hearing this story you're already in danger, I might be your only chance.
Go to the club in the New York Citym Go to the office. I'm not telling you what club but if you're the right person you'll find it. To pen the box you have to recite the code written some where in the club.
By the time you finish listening, you'll know what the code is. Just remember the story I'm about to tell you isn't complete yet. How it ends is on you.
The most important thing when you open the package and find whats inside, don't keep it longer than a week. Sure it'll be tempting. I mean it'll grant almost unlimited power, but power is dangerous. It corrupts the best and attracts the worst. Power is only give to those who are perpared to lower themselves to pick it up. If you posses it too long, it'll consume you. Learn it's secrets quickly and pass it on. Hide it for the next person, the way I did for you/ Then be prepared for your life to become interesting, you'll need it.
But I'm gettig ahead of myself, I guess it all started in London, the night my friend Sadie Kane's father, Dr. Julius Kane, blew up the British mueseum and put me in a coma for some time.
My name is Alex Mercer, I'm the last of an ancient order of warriors and my task is to bring it back up to challenge their ancient enemies who threaten to ruin the world. I'm 13 and I used my home used to be in the USA.
You think I'm kidding? Since I was 12 years old I've been living in New York City in the Bronx and if you don't get tough and learn to fight back you'll be chew up and spit on for the rest of your ordeal while there. I didn't go to school cause the way their involved going throught gang territory and thier was a 99% chance of their being a fight between the rival gangs or a shoot out between the NYPD. So I was homeschooled by my Father who is a Professor at the University downtown, so I had a pretty decent education. I spent alot of time sitting around the house reading, helping my Mother around the house, and going to exercise at the gym sometimes. But unfortunately that all changed when my Dad got mugged on his way home form work and the muggers crippled him fomr the waste down, and the violence between the gangs began to get alot worse as well and it really wasn't a good for place for me to be at the time. So my Mother decided it was to dangerous for me to be lving at home so she called some friends she had in England, the Fausts, a real nice old English couple who didn't mind another person living in their home as they had their grandaughter living there with them as well, and next thing you know it I'm shipped off to London living there for a year and going to school properly with Sadie. So my life was back on track by then and pretty normal, until the explosion that is, on Christmas eve no less. And Sadie's Father and her brother were in Lnodon for visitation day.
See, Dr. Kane's only allowed two days a year wiht her, one ine the winter, and one inthe summer because her grandparents/my host family for the time being, really has it for him. After Sadie's mother died her parents (the Fausts) had this big court battle with . After six layers, two fist fights, and a near fatal attack with a spatula (you don't wanna know), they won the custody of Sadie woth them in Englad. She was only six, and her brother 2 years younger than her. They couldn't keep both of them. At least that was their excuse before they knew I would be on my way over there. So anyway, Dr. Kane ad Sadie's brother hadj ust flown into Heathrow after a couple of days. It was a drizzly cold afternoon as it always is in England. And from the information I heard was that Dr. Kane was kind of nervous the whole cab ride into the city.
Now, Dr. Kane is a big guy. You wouldn't think anything could make him nervous. He has dark brown skin, piercing brown, a bald , and a goatee, so he looks like a buff evil mad scientist. That afternoon he wore his cashmere winter coat and his best brown suit, the he used only for public lectures. Usually he exudes so much confindence that he'd dominant any room he walks into, but sometimes like that afternoon, from what Sadie described to me I saw another side of the good Doctor I couldn't really comprehend. They drove through the city center, heading east towar Mr. and Mrs. Faust's flat. They passed the golden gates of Buckingham Palace, the big stone column in Tragalgar Square. The Faust's live in a housing develpoment near a canary Wharf, right on the banks of the River Thames. The cab driver let Dr. Kane and Sadie's brother off at the curb.
I was sitting in the living room with the Faust's when I saw Dr. Kane and Sadie's brohter walking halfway when I saw Dr. Kane freeze. Then I noticed what had startled him, there was man in a trench coat. He was acroos the street, leaning against a big dead tree. He was barrel shaped, with the color of roasted coffee. His coat and balck pinstriped suit looked expensice. He had long braided and wore a black fedora pulled down low over his dark round glasses. He reminde me of some sort of musician, like Frnak Sinatra or Dean Martin. Even though I could'nt see his eyes from the distance, I got the impression that he was watching Dr. Kane. He might've been an old friend or colleague of Dr. Kane's. But it was strange that this guy was waiting outside the Faust's home. And he didn't looked to pleased.
"C'mon their here" Sadie said as she was waling down the stairs holding her pet cat Muffin. I got up from the couch and said by to Mr and Mrs Faust and walked toward the door outside.
"Late as usual" She said ot her brother.
"Who's he?" Sadie's brother asked as he pointed to me curiously
"Oh that's right you two never met before" Sadie said "Carter this is Alex Mercer, Gran and Gramps agreed with his family in the US that are really good friends with them that he'd be able to stay here for some time until the things where he originally lived calm down, and Alex this is my brother Carter."
You'd never guess he was Carter's sister. First of all Sadie had been living in England for so long that she has a British accent. And she takes after her mother, who is white, so Sadie's skin is much lighter than her brothers. She has straihgt caramel colored hair, not exactly blond but not brown either, which she usually dyes with streaks of bright colors. That day she had rd streaks down the left side. Her eyes are blue, I'm serious. Blue eyes, she's the spitting image of her mother. She's only twelve, but she's exactly as tall as Carter and me, which is kind of awkward. She was chewing gum as usually dressed for her day out with her Father and brother in batter jeans, a leather jacket, and combat boot, like she was going to a concert and she was going to stomp on people in the pit. She had her headphones dangling around her neck in case she got bored.
"Our plane was late" Carter told her.
She popped a bubble, rubbed Muffin's head and tossed the cat inside. "Gran, going out!"
From somewhere in the house, Mrs. Faust siad something I couldn't quite under stand but sounded something like, "Don't let them in".
Sadie closed the door and regarded Carter as if he were a dead rodent the cat had dragged in after killing it. " So here you are again".
"Yep".
"Come one then" She sighed. "Lets get this over with". As we began walking.
"So how did you get to live here with Sadie?" Carter asked as we were walking.
"At my home in NYC violence toward the gangs began to get worse and my Mother decided it wouldn't really be safe for me her anymore until tensions began to die down, and after my Father got his legs taken away from him she didn't spare the moment to give the Faust's a call" I told him
"It was that bad?" He asked
"Normally it isn't" I said "But one day it was all normal and then it just turned into a massacre."
We trudged down the steps. I was thinking about how Sadie would convine her Father to let me come with them. Then Sadie stopped aburtly and I ran into her.
"Who's that?" She asked puzzled
I'd almost forgotten about the guy in the trench coat. He and Dr. Kane were standing across the street next to the big tree, having what seemed to be a serious argument. Dr Kane's back was turned so he didn't notice us and I couldn't see his face, but he was gesturing with his hands like he does when his agitated from what Sadie told me. The man across rom him scowled and shook his head.
"Dunno" Carter said. "He was ther when we pulled up."
"Yeah" I said. "I saw him two when I saw you and your Dad coming up the walk way"
"He looks familiar." Sadie frown like she she was trying to remember a distant memory. " Come on".
"Dad want us to stay in the cab" Carter interjected, But it was no use, Sadie was already one the move.
Instead of going across the street, she dashed up the sidewalk half a block, ducking behind cars, the crssed the opposite side and coruched under a low stone wall. She started sneaking toward Dr. Kane. I followed her lead and didn't do exactly what she had done, I just stayed low and slid across a few car hoods.
"Six years in England," Carter muttered under his breath, "And she thinks she's James Bond."
A couple more steps and we were right behind the big dead tree. I could hear Dr. Kane on the otherside arguing with the man. "I have to Amos, You know it's the right thing to do."
"No" the man who's name was Amos said. His voice was deep and ver insistent. His accent was American. "If I don't stop you Julius, they will. The Per Ankh is shadowing you."
Sadie turned to me with a confused look and mouthed " Per what?"
I shook my head just as mystified. "Lets get out of here," Carter whispered.
"They don't know my plan," Dr. Kane said "By the time they figure it out-"\
"And the children?" Amos asked. "What of them?"
"I've made arrangements to protect them," Dr. Kane said. "Besidesm if I don't do this , we're all in dager. Now back off".
"I'm afraid I can't do that Julius."
"Then it's a duel you want?" Dr. Kane's voice turned deadly serious. "You never could beat me Amos."
I hadn't imagined Dr. Kane could turn this violent even after Sadie described the Spatula incident and I wasn't exacty keen on the thought of seeing it my self. But the two men seemed to be edging toward a fight.
Before anyone could react, Sadie popped up and shouted, "Dad!". Along with jumping out she pulled the sleeve on my jacket tugging along.
Dr. Kane looked surprised when she tackled/hugged him, but not nearly surpised as the other man, Amos. Amos bakced up so quickly he tripped over his own trench coat.
He'd takne off his glasses. I couldn't help but think Sadie was right. Even though I've never seen this man in my life, He did have something familiar about him.
"I-I must be going" He said. He straightened his fedora and tipped his hat and lumber down the road.
Dr. Kane watched him walk away. He kept one arm protectively around Sadie and one hand inside his bag slung over his shoulder. Finally, when Amos disappeared around the corner, Dr. Kane relaxed. He took his hand out of his workbag and smilied at Sadie. "Hello sweetheart"
Sadie pushed away from him and crossed her arms. "Oh now it's sweetheart is it? You're late. Visitation day is nearly over! Ad who's Amos and what's the Per Ankh?"
Dr. Kane sitffend. He glanced at Carter and then at me with a curious look contemplating how much we've overheard.
"It's nothing" he said, trying to sound upbeat. " Now Sadie who's your friend?" he asked
As if right on cue Sadie bolted to my side and edged me closer to her father.
"Dad this is Alex Mercer" she said. Gran and Gramps agreed with his family in the US that are really good friends with them that he'd be able to stay here for some time until the things where he originally lived calm down, and Alex this is my Father."
"What's bad about your previous home?" Dr. Kane asked me
"My father getting mugged and getting crippled from the waste down, and increased violence between rival gangs" I explained for the second time as I did with Carter.
"Well I'm sorry to hear that about what happened to Desmond" Dr. Kane said remembering my father
"You knew my father?" I asked shaking Dr. Kanes hand in greeting
"Yes" He replied, "Me and him were roomates in collage and the top of the class"
Sadie looked happy that me and her Fahter were already getting on good terms. "Do you think Alex could come along with us where ever we're going?" she asked, "Please it's Christmas Eve".
Dr. Kane studied me for a few seconds. "Yes dear he can come along" he replied. "Thank you Daddy" Sadie said happily while hugging him
"Besides I have a wonderful eveing planned. Who'd like to a private tour of the British Mueseum?"
Immediately Sadie's mood changed from happy to disappointed. She slumped i the back of the taxi between me and Carter.
"I can't believe it" she grumbled. "One eveing togather and you want to do research."
tried for a smile. "Sweet heart, it'll be fun. The curator of the Egyptian collection personally invited-"
"Right big surprise." Sadie blew a strand of red-streak hair our her face. "Christmas Eve, and we're going to see some moldy old relics from Egypt. Do you ever think about anything else?"
Dr. Kane didn't get mad. He never got mad at Sadie. He just started out of the window at the darkening sky and the rain.
"Yes" he said quietly. " I do"
The cab snaked its way along the banks of the Thames. Just past Waterloo Bridge, Dr. Kane tensed/
"Driver" he said. "Stop here a moment"
The cabbie pulled over on the Victoria Embankment.
"What is it Dad?" Carter asked.
"He got out of the cab like he hadn't heard him when Sadie, Carter, and I joied him on the walkway, he was staring at Cleopatra's Needle.
In case you've never seen it. The Needle is an obelisk, not a neddle, and it doesn't have anything to do with Cleopatra. I guess at the time the British just thought the name would sound cool when they brought it from Egypt up to London. It's about seventy feet tall, which would've been impressive back in Egypt, but on the Thames with a all the tall buildings around it, it looked and small and insignifacant.
"God" Sadie said while walking around in a frustrated circle. "Do we have to stop at every moneument?"
Dr. KAne stared at the top of the obelisk. "I had to see it again," he murmed. "Where it happened.."
A cold gust of wind blew off of the river. I contemplated what Dr. Kane meant about, "Where it happened."
"What Dad?" Carter asked. "What happened here?"
"The last place I saw her." he replied
Sadie stopped pacing and scowled at Carter uncertainly tha back at her Father
"Hang on do you mean Mum?"
brushed Sadie behind her ear, and she was so surprised, she didn't even push him away.
I felt like the rain had turned frozen solid. Sadie's Mother's passing had always been a forbidde subject between me her and her grandparets. I knew that she died in an accident in London. I knew Mr and Mrs Faust blame Dr. Kane. But none would tell me the whole thing. I'd given up on trying to get the Fausts to tell me, partly becuase they always said, "When the time is right". Which was very frustrating every attempt on trying to ask.
"You're telling us she died here?" I said. "At the Needle? What happened?"
Dr. Kane lowered his head
"Dad!" Sadie protested. "Me ad Alex go past this everday, and you mean to say all this time- and I didn't even know?"
"Do you still have your cat?" Dr. Kane asked her, which seemed like a really out of place question
"Of course I've still got the cat! she said. "What does that ahve with anything?"
"And your Amulet?"
Instinctively my hand went to my neck. When I was little before heading of to England to join Sadie and her grandparents, my Mother had given me an amulet that belonged to our family that was passed down generations from one of my ancestors. Dr. Kane seemed surprised by the shape of my amulet as almost recognizing it.
I've always worn my amulet under my shirt, I'd figured Sadie had lost hers because I've only seen it once.
To Carter's and My surprise, she nodded in agreement. "Course I have it Dad, but don't change the subject. "Gran is always going on about how you caused Mum's death. That's ot true is it?"
We waited. For once, finally I'd actually know what had happened, and if it was at the Needle it must've been serious.
"The night your mother died" Dr. Kane started, "Here at the Needle-"
A sudden flash, maybe lightning perhaps, illuminated the embankment. I turned toward the flash with adreneline courseing through my veins and grabbed my switch blade out of my pocket and flicked it open toward the source of the direction of the flash. And just fo a moment I caught a glimspe of two figures, a talle pale man with a forked beard that was wearing a creamed colored robe, and a coppery skinned girl who wore blue robes and a head scarf you might see women wear in parts of the Balkans or Eastern Europe or in the Middle East. I could tell something wasn't right about these two, they were just there standing side by side, not twenty feet away from us. Then I remembered what the man Amos back at the tree had said, "The Per-Ankh is shadowing you". Those two must've been apart of the Per-Ank even though I had know I idea of it was.
Then the light faded. The figures melted into fuzzy after images. When my eyes readjusted to the darkness they were gone. I folded my switch blade back up into my pocket.
"Um" Sadie said nervously. "Did you just see that?"
"Get in the cab" Dr. Kane said panicked as he was pushing us toward the curb. "We're out of time".
From that point on Dr. Kane clammed up.
"This isn't the place to talk" he said, glancing behind us. He'd promised the cabbie an extra ten pounds if he got ust to the mueseum in under five minutes, and the cabbie was doing his best.
"Dad" Carter tried "Those people back at the river-"
"And the other bloke, Amos" Sadie added in "Are they Egyptian police something?"
"Those people were part of the Per-Ank that guy Amos mentioned back at the Faust's weren't they?" I said
Dr. Kane frozed and stared at me with a startled expression probably thinking about how much we had overhead back at the dead tree. Then he slumped into his sit and said. "The only thing I'm gonna say is that you did the right thing pulling out that knife."
"But the 3 of you" Dr. Kane said "I'm going to need your help tonight. I know it's hard but you have to be patient. I'll explain everything, I promised, after we get to the mueseum, I'm going to make things right again." he said
"What do you mean?" Sadie insisted. "Make what right?"
Dr. Kane's exprssion was more than sad. It was almost down right guilty. With a sudden chill I thought about what Dr. Kane had said about Sadie and Carter's Mother dying at the Needle. And what he had said only a few moments ago. "I'm going to make things right again.". Was Dr. Kane trying to resurrect his late wife? "No" I thought, "That's impossible"
The cabbie swerved on to Great Russel Street and screeched to a halt in front of the mueseum's gates.
"Just follow my lead," Dr. Kane told us. "When we meet the curator, act normal."
We climbed out of the cab. Carter got their luggage while Dr. Kane paid the driver with a big wad of cash. Then he did something strange. He threw a handful of samll obejcts into the backseat- they looked like weird stones, but it was to dark for me to see them clearly. "Keep driving" He told the driver. "Take us to Chelsea."
I glanced at Dr. Kane, Then back at the cab, and before it turned the corner and disappeared in the dark, I caught a weird glimpse of three passengers, a man and three kids. "There's no way the cab could've picked up another fare so fast" I thought to myself.
"London cabs don't stay empty for very long" Dr. Kane said as if he were reading my thoughts. HE marched off through the gates. For a second, Sadie and Carter and I hesitated.
"Carter what's going on?" she asked
He shook his head. "I'm not sure I want to fid out."
"Well stay out here inthe cold if you want, but I'm not leaving without an explanation". She turned and marched after her father.
I looked at Carter for a moment, "What ever I think is going to happen next I don't think I'm having a good feeling about". Then I folowed Sadie into the mueseum.
Looking back on it, I should've just ran. I should've dragged Sadie out of there and gotten as far away from the place as possible. Instead I went into the mueseum.
But I couldn't help seeing out of the corner of my eye the light of round glasses leaning by a light post.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is something I've been putting off on posting on here. I don't know if I want to keep going but I'll keep putting what I have written of this and see if I get my drive back to do this. I've really been busy with school for the last years or so. I'm not sure if I'm gonna keep going with my other stories but we'll see what happens, so rate and review this and I'll begin typing out the next chapter of this.
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